The invention relates to a retainer for securing a shelf support to a wall. More particularly, the invention relates to such a retainer for locking a shelf support within vertical grooves in a wall containing a vertical member to which the shelf support is secured.
Various methods have been used to lock a shelf support to a vertical member contained within slots in a wall to prevent both vertical and lateral movement of the shelf support with respect to the wall. If the shelf support is not sufficiently secured to the wall, it can become loose and fall out of the slot in the wall, thus causing the shelf resting on the self support and the contents of the shelf to fall.
U.S. Pat. Nos. 745,873 to Mancha, 813,501 to Keil and 1,760,503 to Knape disclose shelf support brackets which include upper and lower hook members to secure the shelf support within slots in a vertical member disposed along a wall. In addition, threaded screws or bolts, disposed through a recess in the shelf support bracket between the hook members, and through a corresponding slot in the vertical member help to secure the shelf support to the vertical member. The degree to which the screws are turned within the recess and slot affects how tightly the hook members engage the portions of the vertical members between the slots. Mancha and Knape further include bracing members to lend additional lateral support to the shelf support.
U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,534,529 and 4,589,172 to Dorner describe a shelf bracket and cooperable locking bracket retainer. The retainer, in part, includes two plates and a wedge-shaped element extending between the plates. The wedge-shaped element of the retainer includes a locking surface which is complementary to a beveled locking edge of a recess in the shelf bracket. Thus, the wedge-shaped element is designed to be received within the recess in the shelf bracket so that the shelf bracket is wedged between the two plates of the retainer. In use, a pair of L-shaped members, located above and below the recess in the shelf bracket, are inserted within slots in a wall so that the plates and wedge-shaped element on the retainer abut the outer surface of the wall. The retainer is tapped from above to effect the wedging action. It should be noted that the retainer is only useful with a shelf bracket having a recess with a beveled locking edge that is complementary to the design of the locking surface of the wedge-shaped element of the retainer.
Further, I disclose in my copending U.S. Pat. application Ser. No. 032,424, entitled "Retainer for a Shelf Support Bracket", filed Mar. 30, 1987 a retainer for securing a shelf support to a wall that is useful with a variety of shelf support and wall designs. The retainer comprises first and second spaced, generally parallel and coextensive planar members. The planar members are complementary in shape, having opposed inner surfaces, and outer surface with raised sections. An integral connecting segment extends between the inner surfaces of the planar members. When the connecting segment is disposed within a recess in an end of a shelf support the inner surfaces of the planar members abut the horizontally elongated flat surfaces of the shelf support. When the connecting segment of the retainer is disposed within the shelf support recess, and the wall engaging means of the shelf support is inserted within a groove in the planar surface of a wall and engages a vertical member disposed within the wall, at least a portion of the planar members of the retainer are wedged within the groove, and the raised sections of the outer surfaces of the planar members abut the surface of the wall on both sides of the groove to inhibit lateral movement of the shelf support within the groove.
It is desired to develop a retainer for a shelf support that can be used with a variety of shelf support configurations and a variety of wall designs.